Curtain roller



p 1929. H. e. SPECHT 1,727,489

CURTAIN ROLLER 4 Filed June 30, 1925 INVENTOR HARRY E. EPEEHT.

ATTORNILZY Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED srA'rss HARRY G. SPECHT, OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

CURTAIN ROLLER.

Application filed June 30, 1925. Serial No; 40,549.

This invention relates to curtain rollers and methods of producing the same, and particularly such rollers formed of sheet metal and to which a fabric curtain is adapted to be attached, an objectof the invention being to provide a roller including means by which the curtain may be easily and reliably secured thereto.

It has been the usual practice, heretofore,

with metal curtain rollers, to paste a fabric layer about the same, and to which the curtain was sewed by hand, this operation being time-consuming and the result being more or less unreliable due to the lack of uniformity in the work and the probability of the curtain becoming torn or loosened at its point of connection with the roller when fully drawn.

Other attaching means, as clips, clamping wires, eyelets, etc, have also been employed, but these were expensive to produce and in certain respects unreliable, so that the method of pasting and hand sewing, above referred to, has been more generally used.

It is proposed in the present invention to provide a metal roller with a permanently attached flexible strip or flap extending longitudinally thereof, and to which the end of the fabric curtain may be sewed by machine stitch, so that a neat uniform, and reliable curtain and roller structure is produced. An object is to provide a combination roller and curtain attaching strip or flap attached to the roller along a longitudinal line thereof, one edge of the strip or flap being free for the attachment thereto of the curtain; and the invention further consists in the novel method of attaching such strip or flap during the formation of the roller.

A further object is to provide a metal roller formed from sheet metal rolled into tubular form, and including a longitudinal folded scam in which the strip or flap is secured, and further to provide a locked seam adapted to securely hold the strip or flap and to also prevent twisting and distortion of the roller.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the in vention will be finally pointed out in 1 the claims.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a curtain roller, according to the present embodiment of the invention, aportion of the curtain being shown attached;

Figs. 2 to 7 areend edge views, showing the several steps in the formation of the roller from the flat sheet metal strip shown in Fig. 2 to the finished roller shown in Fig. 7 5

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional View, showing the seam portionof the roller; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional View. taken along the line 9 9 of Fig. 8. p

Similar reference characters indicate cor-- responding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 8 and 9 thereof, the cur tain roller, according to the present embodiment of the invention, is in the form of a cylindrical tube 10 formed from strip sheet metal secured at its longitudinal edges by an interlocking seam, formed by flanges or folds 11 and 12 at the edges bent over in opposed relation and each engaged in the hook structure produced by the other. lVithin this seam there is engaged the folded over edge portion 13 of a longitudinal strip or flap is formed of suitable flexible material, as fabric,

very thin metal, or the like. The seam is se cured against opening by a series of knurling depressions 15 extending along its length, which prevent any possibility of the strip be ing pulled out, and further render the roller rigid against twisting and'distortion, so that the parallel relationof theseam and strip 14 to the axis of the roller will b'emaintained.

The fabric curtain 16 is adapted to be secured to the strip 14, and this ispreferably done by a machinestitch 17, the marginal edge of the curtain being under, as shown.

The roller is adapted to formed upon a suitable rolling machine from a strip, of sheet metal and a strip of suitable material for thestrip or flap 14, suitable lengthsbeing cut off to form the rollers. In.

preferably folded be continuously Figs. 2 to 7 I have illustrated the several steps in the formation of the roller. The flat strip of sheet metal enters the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, and first has the longitudinal flanges 11 and 12 bent upwardly and'downwardly at its respective edges, the same then passing into relation with tube forming rollers, which gradually curl it, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

bringing the flanges 11 and 12 into relation to interlock with each other. At this point the strip 1a is introduced, its edge 13 being folded over by a suitable folding guide and fed into relation with the flange 12, whereupon the flanged end 11 is moved into engagement therewith and the assembly compressed to form the interlocking seam, as shown in Fig. 6, and in which the edge of the strip is secured. The tube now passes into relation with knurling rollers 18 and 19, which engage the seam at its inner and outer sides, compressing the same tightly together and producing the knurling depressions 15. As the continuously formed tube emerges suitable curtain roller lengths are cut 01?.

It will be obvious that the rollers may be produced in 7 any suitable diameters and lengths for use in households, automobiles, etc., and it is further pointed out that the invent-ion is susceptible of use as a telescoping adjustable roller by producing two lengths adapted to fit snugly and slidably one within the other, the surplus of the curtain attaching strip of the inner telescoping portion being torn off along the seam to a point contiguous with the end ofthe outer'telescoping portion, thus providing acontinuous curtain attach: ing strip the length of the telescoping roller, andto which the curtain may be sewed. 7 It is also pointed out that the flexible strip 14, secured in the seam of the roller, may, if desired, be of full curtain length to constitute a curtain member adapted to be rolled upon the roller. I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory; embodiment of the invention, but itwill be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. Acurtainroller, including a sheet metal tubular roller member having a longitudinal locked seam arranged and constructed to rig- 1 idly secure the tubular relation of said member, and a relatively narrow flexible curtain attaching strip permanently secured in said seam along one longitudinal edge, the other longitudinal edgebeing free and adapted to have a curtain secured thereto by stitching.

2. A curtain roller, including a sheet metal tubular roller member having a longitudinal locked seam comprising longitudinal edge flanges of the sheet metal interlockingly connected to rigidly secure the tubular relation tubular roller member having a longitudinal locked seam comprising longitudinal edge flanges of the sheet metal respectively folded inwardly and outwardly and interlockingly engaged with eachother and compressed so that said flanges are substantially in concentric lines with respect to the tube and adapted thereby to rigidly secure the tubular relation of said member, a flexible curtain member permanently secured in said seam along one longitudinal edge, said sea-m being transversely knurled to prevent longitudinal distortion of the seam and secure said curtain member against detachment.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 24th day of June, 1925.

HARRY G. SPEGHT. 

